6 signs you might be a good mom

Maybe you don’t actually question if you’re a decent parent. For myself, I tend to question if I’m doing enough. That concern is born out of a deep-seated concern for my children’s welfare that was created in me by God when I became a first-time mother. If you ever ask that question, you might be a good mom. Here are six other signs you might be a good mom:

Target runs are somewhat rare for me, as venturing out with the three rascals is rather ambitious. But if I have an extra dollar, the question of whether it’s going to me or my kids does not actually exist. If you find this happening to you, you might be a good mom.

2. When you hear crying at 2AM, your concern for their welfare is somewhat greater than your desire to keep sleeping. Most of the time.

What’s more, even if you’re normally a heavy sleeper, the slightest whimper can wake you up. Especially during those newborn days. Sheesh (By the way, if you’re paranoid about your baby not breathing, this movement monitor is perfect). If you can’t snooze straight through your kids wailing like the boogeyman just ate their arm, you might be a good mom.

3. You eat your dinner cold. And last.

Every meal is punctuated with requests that require you to leave your seat, which is extra-appealing after being on your feet for the last hour or so preparing and serving the meal. If answering most of your kids’ mealtime demands leaves your arroz con gandules (ha! As if I know how to make that dish) less-than-steaming at the point at which it enters your mouth, you might be a good mom.

4. You spend less time in the shower than you do cleaning oatmeal from their hair and clothes.

The screaming, whining, and inconsiderate requests are inevitable once you unrobe and start the water. The question is, how long can you ignore them before mommy guilt forces you to cut things short? If you barely spend enough time in the shower to clean yourself (and often not even every day) because you’re worried your kids might end up in the ER during the five minutes they’re not in your control, you might be a good mom (disclaimer: please make sure your kids are in a safe spot while you shower. Leaving the baby next to an open flame is NOT a good idea. But you know this, because you’re probably a good mom).

5. You’re willing to endure ninety minutes of preparations for a sixty minute trip to the park.

The park is essential for everyone’s sanity. You can only spend so many days in a row cooped up in the kitchen cooking and cleaning with the occasional foray into the laundry room. Your kids are getting restless playing with the same (who are we kidding: 2,476) toys and need some sunshine. You might be a good mom if you’re willing to go the distance and change the diaper that just got changed so that you all can enjoy the venue of your kids’ choice.

6. You might be a good mom if you yell at your kids on occasion.

Whaaaaaaat? Sorry, a bit of a departure from the flavor of this post, but yes, even moms who sometimes lose it after their kid just dumped their entire dinner on the floor and then slapped mama in the face, even these mothers can be considered a good mom. If you feel guilty about it, apologize to your kid, and pray for God to give you grace to do it less, you’re still a good mom.

Parenting these crazy littles can get intense! If you’re looking for some extra guidance from the Bible, I have a free seven day email devotional called Finding Peace in the Chaos. You can sign up below!

My kids are 6 and 3. I still check that they’re breathing before I got to bed. Normal for a Mom of infants, but I sometimes question if it’s normal at this age. I’ll probably still do it when they’re teenagers!

My girls are 4, 15, and 18. I still check the oldest one for breathing in the middle of the night🙃💤 i figure if something woke me up i may as well check em all!
Lol, it’s perfactly “normal” if you ask me. 😊

Great post! I like the honesty in the last reason as we are all faced with moments of frustration and the guilt, oh the guilt is serious.

As a mama of an excellent sleeper, I jump for joy when I hear her at night crying. Sounds horrible, I know but a part of me misses the once or twice a night that she used to wake to feed. In 3.5 months, she has woken up 3 times! I joke that she doesn’t need me anymore and she’ll be off to college next week. 😉 haha.

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With a blended family that equals 5. I know what you mean 2 biological and 3 of my fiancée’s. Every child has there own personalities. 1 of my fiancée’s kids is autistic and can be interesting at times. But that is when you count to five and say something to god to help you get through. Then start all over, I like the last because I see my self doing that and then wonder was that too much. But then I realize that if it is then God would of not giving use the strength. To realize that we have to every so often to get the attention of your children to make sure that they know the behavior is not expectable. I am not saying scream at your kids all the time. That is unhealthy but you will know being a great mom when it is necessary. I love all of my kids even the 3 that were born by another woman know as there mom. Because that is the way it should be you loving the children that are all under your roof as your own. And yes I check every one of my kids before I go to sleep to make sure they are safe. My kids are 18, 11, 11, 7, 6. So thank you for posting these because it is a nice reminder that were are not perfect but doing our best.